james o



(No Model.) J. o. BROWN.

TREE PROTECTOR.

.Patent-edf'eb.

' strips is cut or slitted, as at b b, at suitable NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. j l

JAMES O. BROWN, `OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOE OE ONE-'HALE TO JAMES S. A NEWELL, YOE SAME PLAGE. Y

TREE-PROTECTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,448jdated February 7,1888.

Application tiled December 13, 1886. Serial No. 221;443. (No model.)

'To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known thatrI, JAMES O. BROWN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have yinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tree Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tree-protectors, and' especially tothat class of such devices calcu-A lated to closely surround andv be supported by the tree to prevent horses and other animals from gnawing the Same, or to prevent them from being otherwise injured, and in which provision is made for the growth and expansion of the bodyof the tree without hinderance from or detrimental effects by the protector.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved tree-protector in' which the parts may be readily assembled Vand adjusted tosuit a tree of anysize, and which maybe arranged so as to be held or supported with security on the tree and yet yield with all requisite freedom to the growth or expansion of the tree, making the contrivance at the Same time simple in construction, cheap of manufacture, and convenient tion.

To the foregoing ends myinvention consists in the improved tree-protector, which I will now proceed to describe, so that othersskilled in the art may be able to make and use the same, the invention Ibeing particularly pointed out inthe claims hereto appended.`

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and. to which reference is made, Figure 1- represen'ts a side View of a tree-protector embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on the line l 1, Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents in side view a detail drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 represents a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig.

5 represents a section on the line 3 3,V Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 represents a Section on line 4 4, Fig. 3. ,Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all of the figures. f

In the drawings, a represents slats or strips of metal adapted to surround and extend parallel with the trunk of the tree, each of which points from its ends, so as to permit the portion of metal, c, between such slits to be bent or pressed out slightly in one direction and the for manipulation and transporta-v portions of nietal,d,at.the sides of such portion c to be pressedin the opposite direetiomform-l` ing loops, which permit the s'tripsfto be strung upon hoops e e, all as clearly representedin the drawings.

In operation the slats a are strung upon they hoops e 'at suitable distances apart and in numa ber sufficient to surround the tree whichitfis desired to protect, and the ends ofthe hoopsI are secured togetherin such manner as to preferably sustain the slats thereon, and yet per;

mit the hoop to yield continuously as the tree expands by growth. Thislatter resultis accomplished by providing whatIterm a buckle, consisting of a U-shaped part or loop, f, hav? ing its ends gscreW-threaded, as at h, adapting them to receive the nuts-z', screwed/therei, l upon and against thelink orpartj, previously slippedupon the ends g, and passing'oneend of the hoope'through the friction buckle or clasp-that is, between the loop j' and link 31'-, and bending a portion of the extreme end of the hoop at substantiallyl 'right angles withl its body part, as at la, Figs. 2 and 5, so as to embrace aside of the link j. The other end,l,of the hoop is passed through and a, suitable distance beother endof the hoop, and the nutst are turned up against the ylink j, so asto hold the two ends ofthe hoop'in the' buckle with sufficient frictional force to maintain the'slatsa in position fon the tree,.but at the same time permit the end Z to slip through the buckle between `the loop part f and link j "as the tree expands by growth, in a manner thatwill be readily un-l derstood by those skilled in the art. f

By the improved means described atreeprotector 'can readily be made up from the slats aV Y and hoops e to suit a tree of any size, theparts be easily and quickly secured in position, and the desiredprovision for the growth of the tree Vyond thebuckle between the loop f and the l secured,while atthesame time the'contrivance ,f

is made simple in construction and cheapof manufacture. t I

Iprefer to cut into'one edge of each hoop e to form tongues t, of such width that they may be bent outwardly into the Slots or openings between the parts d d of the slats to prevent the slats from slipping laterally on the hoops,

saidltonguesr being formed at the proper intervals and bent out after the slats have been moved to their proper places on the hoops. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)

l. In a. treeprotector, the combination of hoops having overlapping ends, clamps which hold said overlapping ends by friction and permit them to be inoved continuously upon each other by the pressure caused by the expansion ofthe tree, and slats secured to said hoops, as set forth.

2. In a tree-protector, the combination of the metallic slats a, having loops formed therein, the hoops e, passing through the loops of the slats, and a friotional buckle or clasp, substantially as described, whereby the ends of the hoops are frictionally held together with suficicnt force to maintain tlieprotector in position on the tree, but permit it to be continu ously expanded or enlarged by the growth of the tree.

3. In a tree-protector, the combination of the hoop e, having one end provided with a bend, k,a friction clamp or buckle which bears against said bend and holds the overlapping ends of the ho'opin frictional Contact with each other, whereby the tree is enabled by its growth to continuously enlarge the hoop, and a series of slats engaged with the hoop, as set forth.

4. In a tree-protector, the combination, with the hoop e, having the extremity of one end provided with the bend k, of the buckle consisting of the loop f, linkj, and nuts i, as set forth.

5 The combination of the slats a, having loops formed therein, hoop e, having one end thereof provided with the bend k, and a. buckle consisting ofthe loop f, link j, and nuts as setforth.

6. The-combination of the tree encircling hoops cut to form tongues ton their edges and the slats slotted to receive said hoops, the tongues t being bent intothe slots of the slats to prevent lateral displacement of the latter, as set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specifcatiomin the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, this 16th day of June, 1886.

JAMES O. BROVN.

Vitnesses: A-

ARTHUR V. Cnossnnv, A. D. HARRISON. 

